Processing Flavoured Milk by Thermal and Non Thermal Methods

Abstract

Background: Research for new alternatives in food processing and preservation has become a priority of food scientists, not only to provide better quality products, but also to satisfy the needs and preferences of the consumer and further to fulfill regulations regarding food safety and to offer new varieties in the food market. These new alternatives include the use of other preservation factors, as opposed to heat, that are able to inactivate microorganisms and enzymes and provide better stability to the product with only minor changes in the overall quality of the food. Non-thermal processes have gained importance in recent years due to the increasing demand for milk with a high nutritional value and fresh-like characteristics, representing a substitute to conventional thermal treatments.Methods: This study was aimed to compare and evaluate the effectiveness of thermal and non- thermal technologies in microbial inactivation and shelf life extension of flavored milks such as rose milk and chocolate milk. UV radiation and pulsed electric field (PEF) technology were selected for non-thermal treatment of flavoured milks. In the food laboratory, high voltage laboratory and UV treatment chamber the milk samples were analyzed for a week.Result: Our findings in thermal and non- thermal (UV and PEF) methods of flavored milk showed that compare to thermal treatment of flavored milk non- thermal methods are good for preservation of flavored milk. Among the three methods, PEF treatment had an excellent effect on preserving the shelf life compared to thermal pasteurisation and UV radiation.